IF you have read any of my time management posts you know that I value the effectiveness of time blocking. But what you might not know is that I am also very bad at it. I do not like having a set schedule for everything in my day. I call it being a “free spirit,” but in reality for me it’s closer to laziness. Time blocking is a very important piece of having an organized productive day, so I suggest you try to make it a habit like I am.
Make a to-do list
Time blocking starts with figuring out what you actually need to block time out for. The best way to do this is with a to-do list. Think of everything you need to get done, for the time period you had chosen. If you are planning out your day, make a daily to-do list. If you are time blocking for a week, make a weekly to-do list. I do not suggest you plan for any time period longer than that, because it is harder to come up with all the to-do’s. Make sure your to-do’s are as specific as you can make them.
Figure out how long each task will take
Look back over your very specific to-do’s. Figure out how long each task will take. I suggest adding an extra 5-10 minutes to your estimate, just in case. I speak from experience that it is super stressful when you go over the time limit you set for yourself, you start feeling like a failure. There is also not a better feeling when you finish your task in less time than you allotted. Do this for every task.
Put time in your calendar for things you know you will do or have to do
This includes meetings, lunch with friends, traffic, and anything else that is not a to-do, but has to happen at a certain point. These events are the building blocks of your schedule. Don’t miss a single event.
Find a space in your calendar for your top to-do’s
Depending on how much time you have remaining, the amount of top to-do’s you have will be different. I usually chose to put the three-five most important and urgent tasks on my to-do list into my calendar. Some factors you should take into consideration is that you would want to put your hardest task first, and put your easier tasks in between tough meetings. Think carefully when you are planning out your day, keep in mind your own limits.
From the remaining time put some self-care activities in
Never forget to take care of yourself. Sometimes self-care can seem like a drag, but I have a great post you can find here on how to self-care with no effort. In between your tasks, make sure to put some self-care activities in to make sure your days remain fun and healthy.
Set a timer
Raise a hand if you get forgetful and then have to rush to get into whatever meeting or class you are late to. *Raises hand.* Yah. Timers have saved me. I suggest if you are the least bit forgetful you set a timer for a minute or so before your next time block begins. This will give you time to prepare, and to get into the right mindset.
Thank you for reading my post! Leave comment what your biggest obstacle is for having good time management! I also suggest you check out other posts on my site and my Pinterest!